Stoat: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the stoat lives – recorded in 13 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Mustela erminea
Group	Weasels, otters, badgers & skunks
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	13 countries
Continents	Europe, North America
Mass	0.22 kg (adult weight)
Height	0.25 m
Lifespan	5 years
Diet (main food)	Ochotona, European hamster, Poponejo, Arvicola amphibius
Class	Mammal
Order	Carnivora
Family	Mustelidae

Where does the stoat live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the stoat in 13 countries and territories across Europe and North America.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

How big is a stoat?

Wikidata records the following for the stoat: mass 0.22 kg (adult weight); height 0.25 m.

How long does a stoat live?

Wikidata records a life expectancy of 5 years for the stoat.

What does a stoat eat?

Wikidata lists the main food source of the stoat as: Ochotona, European hamster, Poponejo, Arvicola amphibius.

Is the stoat endangered?

The stoat’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the stoat?

The stoat (Mustela erminea) is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Mustelidae, genus Mustela. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the stoat

The stoat (Mustela erminea), also known as the Eurasian ermine or ermine, is a species of mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern regions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The name ermine () is used especially in its pure white winter coat of the stoat or its fur. Ermine fur was used in the 15th century by Catholic monarchs, who sometimes used it as the mozzetta cape. It has long been used on the ceremonial robes of members of the United Kingdom House of Lords. It was also used in capes on images such as the Infant Jesus of Prague.

The stoat was introduced into New Zealand in the late 19th century to control rabbits. However, they have had a devastating effect on native bird populations; as such, the species was nominated as one of the world's top 100 "worst invaders".

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Stoat (revision 1376183277), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q25345 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).